6 



General distribution. — In dry soil, Montana and Wyoming, south to Texas, 

 Arizona, and California. 



Specimens examined. — Montana: Billings, 223 Williams & Griffiths, August 30, 

 1898. Wyoming : Pine Bluff, 3617 A. Nelson, July 6, 1897. Colorado : Grand 

 Junction, 5469 M. E. Jones, June 21, 1894; Buena Vista, 605 C. L. Sheldon, 

 July 6, 1892; Durango, 12 Alice Eastwood July, 1891 ; La Porte, L. H. Pam- 

 mel, June 25, 1896 ; Salida, 953 C. L. Shear, August 2, 1896 ; Colorado Springs, 

 2113 T. A. Williams, July 20, 1896; Trinidad, 15 S. M. Tracy, 1887. Utah : 

 Glenwood, 70 L. F. W^ard, May 22, 1875; "South Utah," M'. E. Jones, 1880. 

 Texas: Dallas, 769 E. Hall, 1872; El Paso, M. E. Jones, April 21, 1884; no 

 locality, G. C. Nealley, 1887; J. Reverchon, 1880. New Mexico: 2015 C. 

 Wright, 1851-52; 973 A. Fendler, 1847 (cotype). Arizona: Cosnino, 4046 M. 

 E. Jones, August 9, 1884; Tucson. J. W. Tourney, 1892; Mormon Lake, 91 

 D. T. MacDovigal, Jime 11, 1898; Mt. Elden, 355 MacDougal, July 11, 1891; 

 Moki Reservation, 9 W. Hough, 1896; no locality, E. Palmer, 1869. Cali- 

 fornia: The Needles, 133 M. E. Jones, May 6, 1884. 



This variety is fairly constant in its characters and is distinguished by its short 

 seta? and short second glume, which about equals the flowering glume in 

 length. In Aristida longiseta the second glume much exceeds the flowering 

 glume. 



Aristida purpurea Nutt. Trans. Am. Phil. Soc. 5: 145. 1837. {A. purpurea 

 berlandieri Trin. & Rupr. Agrost. 3: 107. 1842; A. romeriana Scheele, 

 Linna-a22: 344. 1849.) 



A tufted, glabrous perennial 3 to 6 dm. high, with slender culms, involute leaves 

 and lax pale or purplish panicles. Culms simple, leafy, glabrous, sheaths 

 shorter than the internodes; ligule a short ciliate fringe: leaf -blades 5 to 10 

 cm. long, involute, rigid, slightly scabrous. Panicles 5 to 15 cm. long, the 

 branches at first erect or ascending, often becoming somewhat spreading 

 and flexuous, short, solitary or two or three at each node, few-flowered. 

 Spikelets pale or purplish; empty glumes unequal, the first lanceolate, 6 

 mm. long, cleft at the apex ; the teeth acute, about 1 mm long, bearing 

 between them a scabrous awn about 1.5 mm. long. Second glume 12 mm. 

 long, exceeding the flowering glume, cleft at the apex; the teeth 1.5 mm. 

 long, the avvni 2 mm. long. Flowering glume 10 mm. long, smooth below, 

 tuberculate roughened above; callus bearded, about 0.5 mm. long. Awns 

 equal, purplish, 2 to 4 cm. long (description of spikelet characters drawn 

 entirely from the type specimen). 



Through the courtesy of Mr. Stewardson Brown, curator of the botanical f^ection 

 of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, we have been able to 

 examine the specimen on which Nuttall based his Aristida purpurea. 



Specimens examined.— Indian Territory : 387 E. Palmer, 1868. Texas: Presidio, 

 66 V. Havard, 1881; San Angelo, J. G. Smith, July 12, 1897; San Angelo 

 to Stirling City, 382^ W. L. Bray, May 20, 1899; Austin, 767, 768 E. Hall, 

 May 12, 1872; Bracket, 267 W. M. Canby, March 21, 1900; Turtle Creek, 

 Kerr Coimty, 166 W. L. Bray, May 1. 1899; El Paso, 17a M. E. Jones, April 

 18, 1884; Llano, J. G. Smith, June 29, 1897; Laredo, 104 G. C. Nealley, Au- 

 gust, 1892; Bastrop, 43 E. N. Plank, July, 1892; Gregory, 1579 A. A. Heller, 

 April 14, 1894 ; Beeville, J. G. Smith, May 22, 1897 ; no locality, 3 S. B. Biick- 

 ley, 1883; 949 Berlandier; 1777 Berlandier (cotype of Aristida purpurea ber- 

 landieri Trin. & Rupr.). New Mexico: Eddy, J. G. Smith, August 4, 1897. 

 Arizona: Ash Fork, 47 H. H. Rusby, May 20, 1883 (exactly matches the 

 type) ; no locality, Wheeler's expedition, 1872. 



Aristida purpurea Nutt., has been variously interpreted by different authorities 



